Colombo, August 30: Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram registered fighting half centuries to take New Zealand to 302 for seven at lunch on the fifth day of the second test against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Skipper Vettori, his team’s highest run scorer in the series, was unbeaten on 68 at the break with Jeetan Patel on one, the hosts happy to have snapped up the wicket of Oram just before the interval to remain firmly on course for a 2-0 series win.
After resuming on 182-6 in pursuit of an improbable 494 for victory, Vettori shared in a 124-run seventh wicket stand with all rounder Jacob Oram to lift New Zealand’s faint hopes of saving the test.
However, part-time spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan broke through in the penultimate over of the morning as Oram mistimed a drive to Kumar Sangakkara at short cover.
Oram had scored a hard-working 56 from 148 balls with five boundaries, his best score of the series.
The breakthrough ended a frustrating morning for the hosts as several chances were missed, including a sharp slip chance off Vettori that flew to the right of Mahela Jayawardene at second slip.
Dammika Prasad, the bowler that found Vettori’s outside edge during a fine spell, was also denied an lbw decision against Oram in his next over.
Rangana Herath added to the home team’s woes when he dropped a throw at the non-strikers end to squander a clear run out chance.
Sri Lanka lost the services of Muttiah Muralitharan midway through the session with a suspected groin strain, the off spinner walking off the field in the middle of his 21st over.
Herath remained the most successful of the Sri Lanka bowlers, claiming 4-107 from 33 overs.
—-Agencies